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| Updates from the Front-lines in Durham
February 12, 2018
Durham anti-racist activists
The removal of the statue took place during a vigil and rally with hundreds present, two days after the violent “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA. Dozens of anti-racist protesters were injured, and one, Heather Heyer, killed when a white supremacist member of the American Vanguard Party drove his car into a crowd. The Confederate Statue, which stood outside the old Durham Courthouse, was erected in 1924 at a moment in history that simultaneously saw the growth of Durham’s “Black Wall Street.” In the aftermath of the statue removal, Durham Sheriff Mike Andrews raided homes of local activists and arrested more than a dozen people. Durhamites continue to demand accountability from Sherriff Andrews for nearly a dozen deaths in the county jail during his tenure, including 17-year-old, Uniece “Neicey” Fennell. Migrant rights activists have also challenged the Sheriff’s ongoing collaboration with ICE enforcement that has resulted in dozens of deportation orders, including against high school student Wildin Acosta, who was picked up at his bus stop. After six months of mobilizations at court hearings, dozens of solidarity actions and statements, and thousands of phone calls to city, county, and state officials, felony riot charges were dropped.
The eight defendants each face three misdemeanor charges:
The defendants continue to affirm that removing symbols of white supremacy from public spaces is not a crime. Given that the 2015 preemption law prohibiting local governments from taking action to remove monuments, their alleged role in the actions should be considered a community service, necessary to the health and well-being of their community. Defendants invite all those who choose to side against racism and white supremacy to come to Durham on February 19 and 20 to pack the courts and show solidarity with the ongoing struggles against monuments to racism.
AUGUST 18
Another four activists had been arrested at the Aug. 18 action in Durham. They were charged with wearing masks or carrying weapons at a demonstration. On Feb. 8, one accepted a plea deal and charges against the other three were dismissed on Constitutional grounds. Upcoming National #ToppleRacism
Unions, universities, and community organizations can request a tour stop in their area by filling out this request form. The speaking tour will partner with organizers, leaders, and anti-racist fighters to:
To sign up to host a tour date: fill out this form. People’s Tribunal Finds Durham community members and activists held a People’s Tribunal on Jan. 13 to put the state on trial for racist crimes against the people. This dynamic and creative event allowed survivors of the racist state violence to speak their truth and be affirmed in it. The following charges were brought against former North Carolina Speaker of the House and current U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper, Durham Sheriff Mike Andrews, Durham District Attorney Roger Echols, and President Donald Trump:
The event featured testimony from a range of area residents. George Roberson, a longtime Durham resident whose family relocated after his grandfather was killed by the Ku Klux Klan, testified on how it felt as a kid to walk by the Confederate monument on his way to court. “My heart sunk when I looked at the statue,” Roberson declared. After hearing powerful and vivid testimony from community members throughout the day, the jury, which comprised of the entire audience, unanimously held up “guilty as hell” signs, chanting, “The people have decided!”
More Peoples Tribunals are planned for the near future.
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